


Christmisunderstanding (2009)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2009 [22]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Advent Challenge 2009, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Missed Opportunity, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-22
Updated: 2009-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 16:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seto returns to Domino after a five year absence.  Will he be able to heal the old wounds?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmisunderstanding (2009)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Advent Challenge 2009. Prompt: Christmas spirit.

It was a cold and blustery Christmas Eve. The sky was overcast, full of heavy, dark clouds, and a bitter wind tore through the streets, chilling to the bone anyone who was foolish enough to be out in it. The bar was quiet that night, just a few 'regulars' who couldn't miss their nightly sake or mug of beer as they sat at the rail and either tried to remember a better time or forget their current woes. A bit of a chill ran through the room as the front door opened, and a couple of patrons glanced over to see who had braved the weather to come down to the unassuming little hole in the wall for a drink. Bleary eyes watched the tall brunet come into the bar and take a stool on the far side. He was young and well-dressed, but he didn't say much as he unbuttoned his wool trench coat. And, since he wore the same expression they all did, they quickly lost interest in the newcomer and turned back to their own glasses.

"What can I get for you?" the bartender asked him as she set a napkin down on the polished oak top in front of him.

"Scotch. Neat. Preferably something single-malt and aged."

"Talisker?"

"It'll do." When she poured the shot, he swallowed it in one mouthful, and he closed his eyes briefly as he felt the numbing burn in his throat. Setting the glass down, he gestured to her that he wanted another one. When she refilled it for him, he thanked her, and this one he sipped, falling into his thoughts as he sat there. Had it really been five years?

He heard someone come out from the back, and his mind registered a male voice speaking. "Why don't you head home, Miho? It's pretty shitty out there, and it's slow here tonight. I can cover the bar and the kitchen."

"Are you sure?" she asked as she worried her lip with her teeth.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go on." After she kissed him on the cheek and thanked him, she took off. A couple of moments later, the male asked, "Want another one, Kaiba?"

Sapphire eyes shifted to the person addressing him, and he snorted into his glass. "Shit." He finished the Scotch and then nodded. "Just my luck that the bar I choose is the one you work at, Honda."

"Yeah, well, you've always been like a bad penny. Turning up at the worst possible times and all." The stocky brunet picked up the bottle. "Want a double?"

"Believe me, it's not because I enjoy your company. And yeah."

He poured, and when he was finished, he leaned lightly on the bar top. "I'd heard you were coming back," he remarked. "Any particular reason why?"

"I live here." He rolled his eyes contemptuously. "Idiot." He fell silent as he picked up his glass.

"And that's it?"

Seto set down his glass, his expression hardening as he looked at the other. "Is there something you're getting at, Honda? Because if you have a point to make, then make it. Otherwise, piss off."

"You're charming as ever, I see." He looked pointedly at the other. "I was just wondering if maybe you came back for Jounouchi."

His scowl deepened and he looked down at his glass. That was one name he didn't want to hear. "And why would I do that?" he asked coldly.

Honda shrugged. "I dunno. I wondered if maybe that was the reason you'd left in the first place."

"I didn't 'run away', if that's what you're suggesting. I was needed in the United States, and I had no reason to stay here." He took a swallow of the amber liquid. "But my business there is finished, and now I'm back."

"Uh huh." Honda knew that wasn't entirely true - though he figured Kaiba'd had to be pretty upset to leave his little brother in Isono's care for that long. The fin-haired brunet brought over a bowl of peanuts and set it in front of the other. "And you just happened to pick Christmas Eve to come back, eh?" he asked as he cracked the shell and ate the contents.

Seto glanced over at the calendar. "So it is. Fa la fucking la."

Honda chuckled. "So I take it you're _not_ celebrating with Mokuba, then?"

The slender brunet gave him a withering glare at that. "Mokuba is eighteen and away at school. So no, we're not celebrating." He slowly licked his lower lip as he set the empty glass on the bar. "Besides, Christmas Eve is typically a night for lovers around here, isn't it?" He idly spun the vessel against the polished wood with his fingertips.

"On me," Honda said as he poured Kaiba another double. "You could call him, you know."

"Who? Mokuba?"

"Jou."

"Not."

"There's been no one else, Kaiba. He hasn't even dated since you left."

"Yeah, well, I can't say the same," he replied cruelly. Not that he'd ever really call his series of one-night stands 'dating'. "Besides, why should I care? It's not like he chose me, either." At that, he took a healthy mouthful of Scotch. He really hadn't expected that old wound to still be so raw.

"It's been five years, Kaiba. You should -"

"Look, I don't want to talk about Jounouchi. That was in the past, and I was a fucking idiot to ever pine over a loud-mouthed gutter mutt in the first place. Just shut up about it and do your job, booze-jockey and spare me the sentimental, nostalgic bullshit, ok?" The dark sapphire held a definite frost as he glowered at Honda.

The stocky brunet scowled at the insult, but he let it slide for the moment. "Fine. But you've got an opportunity to fix -"

"Fuck off. It wasn't my fault."

The hazel-eyed male sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Be miserable, then."

Seto picked up his glass and raised it, nodding his head slightly in a mocking toast to the other. " _Kanpai_."

"Asshole."

The slender brunet smirked and blew him a kiss. When Honda wandered away to check on the other patrons, Seto fell into his thoughts again. And though he didn't like where they were taking him, he was powerless to stop them.

It had been their last year of high school. Yugi had invited them all over to go look at the Christmas illuminations, and then back to his place, where his grandfather would have snacks for them to warm up. As usual, that invitation had extended to Seto, and for a change, he had actually shown up. Overall, the evening had been pleasant, but he'd been quiet - he'd been thinking. He'd had an epiphany one night and had come to realize that his outward hostility wasn't due to anything the blond had or had not done. Rather, it was some sort of juvenile expression of his feelings - after all, he didn't pay half as much attention to any other human being on the face of the planet. Armed with this new knowledge, he'd been trying to figure out a way to speak to Jounouchi about it all evening - he sure as hell had no intentions of baring his soul in front of the blond's friends. So, as they'd sat around, Seto had discreetly been feeling out the other, to see if there was anything there, or if it was all one-sided. They'd shared a few small smiles, and had even had the occasional brush of knees as they'd sat next to each other. Though when Seto had complimented Jounouchi and he'd received a wide grin and a demure blush in return, he'd truly believed the other felt _something_ in return. He'd asked if he could speak to him in private, and in true Jounouchi fashion, the blond had nodded, but had told him he needed to use the facilities first. Seto had sat there for a couple of minutes, and had then asked Honda to tell Jounouchi that he was outside when he came back. He'd sat in his car for twenty minutes, and had then glanced back at the house, only to see the blond doing some sort of weird dance with Yugi through the window. At that point, he'd figured that Jounouchi really had no interest in him, and he'd simply left.

The snub had hurt him more than he'd ever admit, and in his mind, he'd imagined that the little group was quite pleased. After all, the last laugh had gone to Jounouchi. Come January, he'd left for New York, and hadn't been back to Domino since. Mokuba had been to visit him a few times in the United States during his vacation breaks, but for the most part, the brunet had severed all his ties to Japan.

However, he'd grown homesick. With Mokuba being in university and having a girlfriend, spending time with his older brother had become less of a priority. Seto didn't blame him for that; after all, he had his own life to live, too. But, after spending one too many holidays by himself, he'd decided that enough time had passed, and he'd moved himself back home. He'd thought that he was over Jounouchi. 

A bitter smile settled on his face. Apparently, he'd thought wrong. He finished his drink, and when Honda came over to him, he said, "How much?"

The hazel-eyed male gave him his tab, and Seto paid him what he owed, plus a sizeable tip. "Kaiba, you don't -"

"Shut up, Honda. For a guy _in the know_ , you're sure misinformed about my tipping habits. Keep it." He slipped on his trench coat, and feeling a bit tipsy, he gave his head a bit of a shake. Seeing the concerned look on the other's face, he smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not driving."

Honda nodded, and as he put the money in the till, he said. "Thanks, Kaiba. Merry Christmas." He received a half-grunt in response, and when the other walked out the door, he murmured quietly, "I'm sorry..." 

Seto didn't feel like going home just yet. The wind had died down considerably, and instead of calling for his car, he walked along the sidewalk toward downtown. In the distance, he could see KaibaCorp tower, and he headed in that rough direction. When he reached the park, he cut through it, though when he reached the large lighting display in the centre, he paused. Finding a bench, he sat down on it, and he looked up at the Christmas tree that had been erected. According to the sign, there were over one hundred thousand lights on it. The year he'd viewed it with the blond, there had only been fifty thousand. Still, there could have been a million, and he wouldn't have cared - truth be told, looking at the displays alone sucked, and it made him feel pathetic. He clenched his jaw a little and thought about what Honda had said. Pulling out his cell phone, he called directory assistance and got the blond's phone number, which he immediately programmed into the device. Then, he called it up, his thumb hovering over the 'send' button.

"Can I sit with you?"

Seto snapped his phone shut and turned around, his eyes widening a little when he saw the blond standing there. "Jounouchi..."

"Hey, Kaib'." He toed awkwardly at the ground, and then he moved to the other side of the bench and took the spot next to the brunet. "You're looking good."

"You too," he said quietly. The blond had filled out a little in the chest, and somehow, he'd found a way to tame his mop of hair into something somewhat manageable. "What are you doing here?"

"Honda called me and told me you were in town."

"Honda talks a hell of a lot." The brunet's lips curved down a bit.

"Yeah, well...he does," the blond agreed.

Seto smirked a bit, then he sobered. "What the hell happened to your hand?" he asked when he noticed it looked a bit swollen and bruised.

Jounouchi shrugged. "I sort of punched Honda in the face."

Despite himself, Seto laughed. "Why?"

"Because I was pissed at him." He sighed. "He 'fessed up about what happened that night at Yugi's."

An elegant brow arched in curiosity. "What did he say happened?"

"He told me that when I went to the can, you'd talked to him. That you'd asked him to tell me you'd gone outside. He said he was eighteen and jealous, and when he saw me, he told me he'd heard you laugh about leading the mutt on, and had left." His hands balled up into a loose fist. "He said he feels guilty about it now, and that he knows he was wrong - especially after he saw you tonight." Jounouchi smirked a little. "So I told him he was a fucking bastard, and popped him one in the mouth."

"Can't say I disagree with your assessment."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm more pissed that I didn't call you after the fact."

"I could have done the same." Seto was quiet for a moment. "How did you find me here? It's not like I told anyone where I was going."

Jounouchi smiled a little. "Fate? Hearing Honda tell me that got me thinking about that night, and I remembered sitting on this bench with you." He looked over at the tree. "Every year, they try to put more lights on it."

"Eventually, it's just going to catch on fire."

"I hope I'm here to see it when it does."

Seto laughed a bit at that, and turning away from the tree, he shifted to face the other. "So you _wanted_ to come talk to me that night?"

Jounouchi nodded. "Yeah. And you really wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes. Though I really don't see the point any more. Do you?"

The blond's heart sank. "Oh. Yeah, I guess five years is long enough for you to change your mind."

Seto shook his head. "No...I mean, you pretty much know what I was going to talk to you about now, yes?"

"Yeah." He worried his lip for a minute. "So...does this mean we can maybe go back to that point? Or has it been too long?"

For a long while, Seto just looked into the amber eyes he'd missed so much. "I don't know if we can go back to that point. Thanks to Honda, we both have some things we're going to need to work on. But, I'd still like to see what happens."

"I'd like that too, Kaib'." Almost shyly, he took the other's hand in his, and an expression of pure happiness settled on his face. 

"Have dinner with me tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." For a while, he sat there quietly, and then he said, "Look, it's snowing!"

The brunet smiled at the gesture, and he shifted a little bit closer to the blond so that he could rest their conjoined hands on his lap. "So it is. You've almost got an idyllic Christmas setting right here. Tree, snow, a couple holding hands..."

Jounouchi cocked his head to the side and looked at the other curiously. "So, what's missing?"

"This." He turned further, and with his free hand, he cupped the other's cheek and leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the other's mouth. The contact sent a surge of warmth through him that no amount of Scotch could ever provide, and left him with a pleasant, contented buzz. "Mm, I've been waiting a long time for that," he remarked as he sat back and lightly suckled his lower lip.

The blond nodded as a slow, silly smile turned the corners of his mouth up. "Yeah, me too." In the distance, he could hear the bells in the old courthouse clock tower chiming midnight. "Hn, Merry Christmas, Kaiba."

The sapphire eyes were warm and open as he glanced at the other. "Merry Christmas, Jounouchi." For the first time in a long time, he knew he was going to enjoy the holiday.


End file.
